Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 27, Proverbs 27. I truly believe the Lord's given
me light on this passage of scripture. If he hasn't, it won't be a blessing
to any of us. But if he has, then it will be
to God's people. Proverbs 27, verses 3 and 4. A stone is heavy, and the sand
weighty, But a fool's wrath is heavier than them both. Wrath is cruel and anger is outrageous. But who is able to stand before
envy? The scriptures declare all things
as they are. and that we might have some understanding
of the seriousness of man's offense against God and the penalty for
our offense, a natural illustration. These are proverbs. These are
parables. It's an earthly story that has
a heavenly meaning. And we all know that the heavenly
meaning is the glory of Christ. We know that, Kevin. If the Lord gives us understanding
into the heavenly meaning, we shall behold the glory of Christ. So the scripture starts off this
morning giving this earthly illustration. A stone is heavy and the sand
weighty. Now I've truly, I've tried to
look at these words and discern the meaning from books that tell
and explain Hebrew. And this is what it's saying.
It says, it's talking about a stone. That's what it's talking about. A rock. A rock is heavy, a stone
is heavy, and the sand is weighty. Now, with that illustration,
let me tell you what my mind, and I'm sure yours, has done.
Our minds will naturally consider weight. It's said that a stone's
heavy, a sand is weighty. We start thinking about how heavy
is it, how big is it, how big's a stone? Is it a little stone,
big stone? We start thinking about, you
know, and how are we going to deal with heaviness? How are
we going to deal with it? And depending on the size of
the stone or the amount of the sand, that weight may present
a problem. But if it's within the realm
of a man's ability to deal with the weight, if it's within the
possibility of a man to be able to deal with it. Well, then there's
a remedy. A road construction company,
if he has enough equipment, enough manpower, enough money, enough
time, they can move a mountain. How big's a rock? How much time you got? How much money you got? But then
the scripture says that there's something said to be heavier.
We talk about weight of these natural things, but there's something
that's heavier, and that is more severe, more difficult, or more
grievous than the physical weight of a natural stone or sand. And
here's what it is. It's something that's heavier.
A fool's wrath is heavier than them both. fools, wrath, that
trouble, that rage, or that anger from a stubborn, unreasonable
person that exhibits anger that weighs on the heart. Now there's
a weight that's different. I can look at a boulder and say,
how much do you think that thing weighs? I'd say 500 pounds. I don't think I can pick that
up. Well, there's something that's heavier. and it's the fool's
wrath. Now, this word, wrath, in verse
3, there's the word wrath, verse 3. It's a word that is used,
it sets forth impulsive indignation. Now, it's very important because
verse 4 starts off with the word wrath, but it's a different word.
Lord willing, I'll get to it in just a minute. I'm going to
tell you what this in verse 3 means. The word wrath in verse 3 is
a word and it sets forth impulsiveness. It's the weight that is upon
the heart when something is done and provokes someone right now. It's something that they've done.
It was something that was brought on. It's wrath or anger that
is produced because of something that someone does or doesn't
do. And this type of wrath, it can
be associated with a human being. You think about the tenderness
of a loving and caring mother that loves her child. That's the child that she bore. But you let that child take and
pick up the prized vase. that her mother told her, don't
touch it. Don't touch that. And you let
that child pick up that vase, play with it, bring it outside,
and drop it on the sidewalk. And immediately, that mother,
that loving, kind, considerate mother, would do anything for
that child. Anger, wrath. Why, it was impulsive. It was something that happened
right now. Now that type of anger, now the
reason I'm going to say this scripture is because it's the
same word that's used, that word wrath. That is wrath. Now to us, we have no control
over our anger. I mean, I wish I could control
my anger. But buddy, when you get mad, you're mad. And it's
uncontrollable. But a fool's wrath is like that. But even the divine wrath of
God can be that which, and I'm going to just tell you the way
it is. These are the words that the Holy Spirit has used. So
therefore, we can't compare our uncontrollable wrath with the
wrath of God when it's the same word, but I'm going to tell you
what the scripture... The issue here is something that
caused it to be provoked. It's a provoked wrath. Something that someone did. This
is the issue here. Hold your place in Deuteronomy,
I mean Proverbs, but turn over to Deuteronomy 32. Let me show
you something. Deuteronomy 32. The issue of
the wrath that's used in verse 3 is it's something that was
provoked. It's something that someone did.
All right. In Deuteronomy chapter 32, verse
15 through verse 19. Now listen to these scriptures.
But Jeshurun, now Jeshurun is not set forth as being a person. It's not a person. What Jeshurun
is, it's Israel, it was the people of God, and it was a symbolic
name given for Israel, those who profess to believe God. I'm
going to just tell you right now that it's those that profess,
in our day and age, it would be those that profess to believe
the gospel. I mean, there's a lot of religions
that don't believe anything. And, I mean, you say, well, they're
professing to be the people of God, and what they're professing
is evident. I'm talking about people that
believe the gospel. That would be the association
here. old Israel, new spiritual Israel, people that claim to
be so shoe-run here is not a person that you'd think it would be
some man or something. It's a word that is symbolic
that's given for spiritual Israel who appear for a while to be
upright but prove later by their actions to not be. And the word
that I'm looking for and what I'm about to read to you is in
verse 19. It's that word provoked, provoked. Listen to this, let's read it.
Deuteronomy 32, 15, 19. But Joshua waxed fat and kicked. Thou art wax and fat. Thou art
grown thick. Thou art covered with fatness.
Then he forsook God, which made him. and lightly esteemed the
rock of his salvation. They provoked him to jealousy
with strange gods, with abominations, provoked him to anger. They sacrificed
unto devils, not to God, to gods whom they knew not, to new gods
that came up newly when our fathers feared not. Of the rock that
begat them, thou art unmindful and has forgotten God that formed
thee. And when the Lord saw it, he
abhorred him because because of the provoking of his sons
and his daughters. Now that's the same word that's
used concerning a fool's wrath. Again, we don't associate. We're
not talking about the same. I'm uncontrolled. God is completely
controlled, but the issue is provoking. It's something that
someone has done. That's the wrath. Now back in
Proverbs. Proverbs 27. I'll read that verse three, we'll
go right on verse four. A stone is heavy, the sand weighty,
but a fool's wrath, provoked wrath, impulsive wrath in a fool
is heavier than them both. But then in verse four, wrath
is cruel and anger is outrageous. But who's able to stand before
envy? Now, here in verse four, as I
told you a moment ago, there's that word wrath. But that word
wrath is a different word. It's not a word associated with
impulsiveness. This wrath is said to be a cruel
wrath, and I'll tell you what it's associated with. Jealousy. Envy. We'll deal with it, and
the reason I say that, of the reading of that verse. Wrath is cruel and anger is outrageous,
but who's able to stand before envy, jealousy. Now that wrath,
it's said to be cruel. Not cruel in the sense that,
you know, he was cruel to a cat. You know, he pulled a cat's tail.
That's not the word. The word, it's fierce. And it's
terrible. And anger, that is anger that
is said to be of rapid breathing. It's outrageous, it's overflowing,
it's a flood, it's a deluge. Now this wrath right here in
verse 4, as I said is one that seems it's not the same word
with impulsiveness because of something somebody did. This
word in verse 4 is a jealousy. Envy. And it's the word in verse
4, wrath, that is associated or used when the angered party
has been offended. Somebody has offended me and
he intends to save his name or avenge his name because someone
has done something to his character. I told you about the baby. Use
the illustration of the baby dropping the vase. Okay, the
mama may get mad, but the little baby didn't do anything toward
the character of the mama. That wrath was, it was an impulsive
wrath because of what that child did. Now this wrath in verse
4 is wrath, is outrage because of someone that has done something
to my character. Hold your place right there and
turn with me to Genesis 27. This is the first, Genesis 27,
this is the first time that this word wrath in verse four is used. Genesis 27, in verse 41 to 45,
this is when Esau, remember Jacob and Esau? Jacob have I loved,
Esau have I hated, and you remember when It was the Lord's will that
Jacob would receive the blessing, the birthright. Esau, who sold his birthright
for some pottage, for some soup, sold it. He said, I'm going to
die if I don't get something to eat. He sold it. He sold it.
But Esau was offended. He was offended because of what
Jacob, in Esau's mind, had done to him. Esau sold it, but he
was offended. Now the scripture says, now this,
here's the first time that this word wrath is used. And actually it's, I'm gonna
be reading in Genesis 27 verses 41 to 45, and the word, same
word wrath in Proverbs 27 four is found here as the word fury,
same word. All right, now Genesis 27 verse
41, and Esau hated Jacob. because of the blessing wherewith
his father blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, the
days of mourning for my father are at hand, then will I slay
my brother Jacob. And these words of Esau, her
elder son, were told to Rebekah. And she sent and called Jacob,
her younger son, and said unto him, behold, thy brother Esau,
as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
But now, therefore, my son, obey my voice and arise and flee thou
to Laban my brother, to Haran, and tarry with him a few days
until thy brother's fury, same word, wrath, turned away. Now, that wrath, that fury, was
there in Esau's heart because of, in his mind, His honor, his
name, his glory, his right had been offended. And vengeance
toward Jacob was Esau's desire. But though wrath associated with
jealousy you know, or envy for the offense of one's name can
be and is associated with men. We just read it. That's the word
the Spirit of God used and it can be found among men. The holy
and righteous jealousy of God toward all who have dishonored
His name is infinitely different. His divine wrath is eternal. And it's just. Now here's where
we must consider the seriousness of failing to do that which is
required of all for acceptance with God. I mean, man by nature. You know, he says, well, he'll
look at that, you know, he'll think of concerning the judgment
of God, the wrath of God, And you'll think, you know, well,
like that little baby that broke the vase. Mama was mad. Well,
I may not be the best. But I haven't done so and so.
And he started comparing himself to somebody else. I mean, you
know, I may have done a few things. But again, I'm not, you know,
I haven't done. But brothers and sisters, listen,
it's not what we have done It's what we fail to do when it comes
to the glory of God. We've got to consider that the
anger of a man whose character has been offended, it could be
quieted. I mean, in Esau's mind, Jacob
had offended his character. And with a man, that anger, that
wrath, it may be quieted. It could be quieted by something
that the man that's done the offending does. By his work,
by an apology, by some gifts. In fact, okay, if you're still
in Genesis, turn over to Genesis 33 verses 1 to 4. That, with
a man, That could be quieted by another's
works. It could be. Let me show you.
Genesis 33 verses 1 to 4. Now Jacob, as far as Esau's concerned,
you're the culprit. But you remember, just for the
sake of time, I'll tell you this. Oh, Jacob had been sending all
of these people forward with him with gifts and animals, and
he had all kinds of blessings he was sending to Esau to appease
him about something he could do. And here was the result of
it. Genesis 33, 1 to 4, Jacob lifted
up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau came with him, 400 men. And he divided the children,
Leah and Rachel, unto the two handmaids, and put the handmaids
and the children foremost, and Leah and her children, after
Rachel and Joseph, hindermost." And look, here's what he's thinking.
Here comes his brother Esau. Esau's offended. He's offended
because his name was offended, his honor was offended, his right
was offended. He's offended. And Jacob sees
him coming with 400 men. Now what do you think he thinks? This is it. He divides up his
household and he said, well, if he goes after one, at least
the other will escape. He's got a plan. But look at verse three
and four. And he passed over before them
and he bowed himself to the ground seven times until he came near
to his brother and Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and
fell on his neck and kissed him and they wept. Oh, what an ending. Oh. Esau had a change of heart. Oh,
it worked out. It was so good. They reconciled,
they told each other, you know. That's a man. Now listen, you
that know him not, you that know him and you that know him not,
let's all hear something. That's men. That's men. But when it comes to appeasing
God, We're not talking about men whose emotions can go one
way or the other. When it comes to God, you, for
me, that might think that God's like one of us. God's not like
one of us. Let me tell you the God that
we're going to stand before. Listen to me. I'm saying something. I feel
myself getting older. I'm looking at my family. I'm
looking at some in my family right now that could be dying
today. I know I could, but humanly speaking,
we're going to meet God. We're going to stand before God.
And I want you to hear what these Scriptures have got to say about
who God is. The Scripture declares, concerning
his wrath and the offense of his character, the offense of
his name, his honor, his glory. Here's what the scripture says.
Listen to me. He will in no wise clear the guilty. The holy wrath
of him before whom all men must stand without absolute justice
and righteousness being fulfilled. The scripture says back in Proverbs
27, verse 4, latter part, who is able to stand before envy,
God's envy, God's glory, God's jealousy? Who is able to stand
before Him who will never tolerate dishonor? or disrespect to himself,
who absolutely demands holy reverence, that his glory and honor never
be given to another, never shared with another. Listen to this,
Exodus 34 14, for thou shalt worship no other God. For the Lord whose name is jealous,
He is a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4.24, For the Lord
thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. God is jealous of His glory. Isaiah 42.8, I am the Lord, that
is my name and my glory. Will I not give to another? Neither my praise to graven images. How tight is that? I'll tell
you how tight it is. What I mean is how serious is
that? How stringent is that? If there's
ever been a time in my life, before now or tomorrow, to where
I have failed in myself, to give absolute glory, honor, and praise
according to God's standard. To Him, I'm guilty. I'm guilty. If I failed to do anything that
I should have done, I'm guilty. I'm guilty. He's jealous of His
glory. He's jealous of His Word. Psalm
138, to I will worship toward thy holy temple and praise thy
name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth for thou has
magnified thy word above all thy name. If I have ever failed
to honor his word, I'm guilty. Guilty. Shun the
thought of thinking, well, I'm not as bad as others. Yes, we
are. Don't, don't, don't go there. Listen, you might fool me, but
we ain't fooling God. He's jealous of his people. Zechariah
2.8, for thus saith the Lord of hosts, after the glory, or
after his glory, hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled
you, for he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye. And there's coming a day in which
this issue is going to be openly shown. Scripture says, Revelation
6, 17, for the great day of His wrath has come. And who shall
be able to stand? So may all men hear Psalm 76,
7, Thou, even Thou, art to be feared. revered, that is, and
who may stand, who may abide, who may arise and continue and
dwell in thy sight once thou art angry. If God is angry, if
God's angry, who can stand? Knowing then the jealousy of
the Lord for His glory. and for His Word and His people,
knowing that all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God, knowing that there's none righteous, no not one, that every
imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is only evil continually. You say, well that was back in
Genesis 6, 5. Right now. Who then shall be able to stand before
the just, holy, and jealous God, stand and not be consumed? I
can tell you this, no man born in Adam, nobody. Lord willing, the next service
I'm gonna speak on, have I received the Lord Jesus Christ? But for
right now, I'm gonna say this. Somebody will say, well, I've
received the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. Have you honored
Him? Have you honored His name, His
glory? Have you magnified Him and never deviated? I was baptized. Have you honored
Him, glorified Him, honored His character ever been in your heart? because you're trusting in what
you did. Now, have you never deviated one ounce? Paul the
apostle said, do you hear what the law says? You that are trusting
in the works of the law, do you hear what the law says? Men don't
know what God's saying. That's the problem. Who shall
stand? Turn over to Ephesians 2. I'm
going to wrap this up. Ephesians chapter 2, verses 1
to 3. Ephesians 2, 1 to 3, and you
hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein
in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit
that now worketh. in the children of disobedience,
among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in
the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath against
God." Somebody said, well, I never had a wrathful thought against
God. God said we do. And let God be
true. All men are liars. We're by nature
the children of wrath. We're by nature. You might say,
well, I never did it. The Lord said that's our nature.
We're children of wrath even as others. So being born in Adam, listen
to me, we're all guilty. We're all guilty. No excuses. No excuses. Oh, but thanks to
the Lord, verse three is not where the scriptures end. Look
at verses four to nine. But God, but God, but God, who
is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even
when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together, now look
here, with Christ. By grace, you're saved. And has
raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus. That in the ages
to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. Thanks be unto God. There's one. One. According to his own holy
character. Power. Ability. and perfect obedience, who as
the God-man mediator stood and answered for his people before
the unwavering law of Almighty God and honored Jehovah's character. He honored him. And he never knew sin personally. And in him alone is the father
well pleased. Who is he? He's the federal head,
the great high priest, the absolute substitute before the just and
holy and jealous God who bore the sin of his people and answered
the last demand of God's justice. By the shedding of his own blood,
he bore the guilt of his people, the people of God's choosing,
in his own body. That's what 1 Peter 2.24, who? His own self bear our sins in
his own body on the tree. Why? Because the people for whom
he died, We're just as guilty as everybody else. There's not
one of us that's ever honored God. There's not one of us that
ever bowed in heart and never did. All have sinned. We're all
guilty. And he bore their guilt and put
away, he paid for it. Were we guilty? Yes, we were
guilty. Why? Why would he die lest we be guilty? Oh, we have no righteousness. Oh,
but we do. Robed in his righteousness. Isn't
that an amazing thing? I think that we might
be made the righteousness of God. And that's not pretend. Robed in his righteousness. We
stand in the righteousness of God himself. Christ Jesus our
Lord. Who is able to stand and answer
for God's sheep? The one who is beloved of the
Father. The one in whom the sheep are accepted the hope of glory. He's the one that the sheep are
not ashamed. That's what Paul the Apostle
says. I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed. That's the one that the believer
is persuaded. He is able to keep that which
I have committed unto him against that day. The one who's able
to keep us from falling, that's what Jude 1.24 says. Listen,
the Lord, and I want you to just turn right now, I'm going to
come up to Zechariah. It's just before, it's about
two or three books before you get, maybe one or something,
before you get to Malachi. Zechariah 8 is where I'm going
to be. But this, the Lord is jealous.
He's jealous. He's jealous and envious of His
glory and shall execute righteous judgment upon the wicked for
their guilt. There's no doubt about it. But
in closing, at Zechariah chapter 8, let me read this blessed passage,
the last passage right here, Zechariah 8, verses 1 to 8, concerning
the Lord's jealousy. He's jealous, jealous of his
honor, and he executes righteous wrath against all who dishonor
him. Listen to this blessed passage
of scripture about his jealousy. It's a jealousy that you and
I that know him and believe him rejoice in. Zechariah 8 verses
1 to 8. Again, the word of the Lord of
hosts came to me saying, thus saith the Lord of hosts. I was
jealous for Zion with great jealousy and was jealous with her with
great fury. That is in that verse right there,
verse 2. It speaks of that righteous jealousy of God against the enemies
of his people, Satan's sin in the world, but concerning his love for her. Thus saith the Lord, verse three,
I am returned unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem
and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth and the mountain
of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. Before I read, I'm
going through verse eight, but many of the writers referred
this just to old Jerusalem and the return of people from Babylon
and stuff like this. Robert Hawker wrote a little
part on this right here, and it just such blessed my heart.
I'm gonna tell you what he said. He was talking about this passage
of scripture, he said, in the greatest and most honoring sense
unto the Lord. It speaks of the joy of the Lord
to bring his elect church, all out of every nation, kindred,
tribe, and tongue, bringing them together. the Holy Jerusalem. That's the spiritual blessing
of this. Now knowing that, he says in
verse 4, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, There shall yet old
men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every
man with his staff in his hand for very age, and the streets
of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the
streets thereof. Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
if it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people
in these days, should it also be marvelous in mine eyes, saith
the Lord of hosts. Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
behold, I will save my people. from the east country and from
the west country, and I will bring them, and they shall dwell
in the midst of Jerusalem, and they shall be my people, and
I will be their God in truth and in righteousness. A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, but a fool's
wrath is heavier than them both. Wrath is cruel. Anger is outrageous,
but who is able to stand before envy? Only the Lord himself can stand
in his own character, be made flesh, be made sin, satisfy God, put away their guilt. robe his own in his own righteousness
and God accept him. May the Lord be honored and his
people rejoice in him alone. Amen. All right.